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Thursday, May 22, 2008

My two cents on the Openmoko April Software Update

I have been involved in this project with the goal to create the April Software Update (ASU). Just by the name Update one can guess that the stuff shipped (factory image) on the image is not the April Software Update. The default factory image, for what I know, is the Gtk+ based stack as you know it.

So why did we start to create the ASU? We wanted to have a working phone on a short time frame and some of us believed that the current stack, specially the gsmd, is not close to be working properly. The most promising alternative was the Qtopia stack. So we started marching into this direction by porting it to Qt/X11. When I say Qtopia we mean the prediction of the keyboard, the dialer, the sms program, the various other phone apps. So I'm using my ASU powered gta02 as my primary phone and fix the issues I encounter where ever they are. There are quite some things left but it is looking promising. So guys, be happy that you will getting working hardware and working telephony software. If you are bored with stuff just working (tm) the Gtk+ based stack is awaiting your patches.

So how does it fit into the platform strategy? This is not changing anything in regard to GNOME Mobile and Embedded (GMAE). Our SDK will support you in creating GMAE based applications. Our framework initiative will make sure that you can access the functionality you need. Due technical issues (before it would get political) our SDK will not contain Qtopia headers, libraries. The Gtk+ stack remains supported, patches are welcome.

So happy hacking and enjoy a working phone and more on how great EFL later.

@deviceguy: Qtopia out-of-the-box is unusable on the FreeRunner (no accellerated framebuffer for a start). Besides, locking people into one UI toolkit (Qt) would pretty much take the "Free" out of the FreeRunner :D